JETHRO TULL This Was – RARE 1968 UK 1st PRESS ISLAND PINK LP – LOVELY EXAMPLE.

	£		92
	$		122

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: JETHRO TULL

Album Title: This Was

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: My Sunday Feeling; Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine For You; Beggar’s Farm; Move on Alone; Serenade to a Cuckoo.

Side 2: Dharma For One; It’s Breaking Me Up; Cat’s Squirrel; A Song for Jeffrey; Round.

Label/Format: Island – the ultimate first pressing with no ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ at the 6 o’clock position. These have matt, heavily textured surfaces, all details as seen.

Label Conditions: Two super examples that have barely aged at all. Very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle marks very fine and faint, hardly any register.

Catalogue Number: ILPS 9085

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 156 grams. A typical heavyweight Pye-pressed first issue.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: First issues are getting rare.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9085 + A / ILPS + 9085 + B

Musicians: Ian Anderson – flute, mouth organ, claghorn, piano and vocals; Mick Abrahams – guitar, nine string guitar and vocal; Clive Bunker – drums, hooter and charm bracelet; Glenn Cornick – bass guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Jethro Tull’s debut masterpiece and many agree it was never bettered. A rock classic of high repute and showing incredible maturity that fitted in nicely between blues and prog. Mick Abrahams was the darling of the clubs, and for a brief moment offered a challenge to Clapton, especially with his showpiece ‘Cat’s Squirrel’. Shortly afterwards he left the band to form Blodwyn Pig. Anderson became the undisputed leader and live he and the band were tremendous. On record they rarely got much better, ‘Dharma for One’ that opens side two has probably the best ever (short) drum solo ever – this has to be heard on stereo vinyl that images brilliantly with jaw-drop sound, as does the whole album. This an ultimate first issue stereo copy with the flipbacked inside cover and that massively wide spine (as seen) The record has some light surface marks, but this heavyweight record plays very impressively with very little unwanted. Pye contract pressings were a lottery as many collectors will know, but this was a pleasure to play-grade, the dynamics and detail were always assured on these deep-groove early copies.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a gatefold format with front and back laminate. This covers all the closed edges and ends on the lower inside gatefold edges, also the top edges on top of two external flipbacks. The inside is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England, uncredited and includes the typical Pye style heavy-duty polylined inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: Stunning artwork seen to nigh-on maximum advantage under shiny, fresh and clear laminate that has no lifting and minimal traces of dulling. A little near the rim areas seen under light, but with a very thick heavy record inside since 1969, that is almost the barest minimum to expect. The front especially is superb with little to fault, any creasing on this side is mimimal, a tiny few gentle, fine hairlines on the spine and bottom corner. The back almost the same, but does have a moderate laminate crease near the left side, this with only modest visibility viewed normally full-on, but seen more with angled viewing. This is a fantastic design, but with the super-wide spine, it is very vulnerable to damage and laminate issues. This has fared very well indeed and remains very attractive and fresh and not seen as such often.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Firstly, only first issue copies included the inside top flipbacks, both here are neat and solid with no lifting. Any pulling to the laminate end area tiny and very little. Sometimes this area can be badly torn and grubby, this happens when closed and meeting up together, its almost avoidance is a major plus. The lower laminate ends are also clean with no pulling issues, any grubbiness also minimal. With the very wide spine, secondary creasing to its left and right is common and rarely avoided, but this one has hardly any, that is something I have not seen many times. The main panels are impressively clean and still fresh, any surface blemishes minimal and faint. Also minimal creasing, any present light – this inside is also vulnerable and has also fared well.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four show barely any hint of wear and are still straight and flush with practically full laminate cover, and mostly still smooth to the fingertip, the top pair totally. Four very impressive edges that are seldom seen without chipping or damage.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed front edge is very neat and sharp, it being naturally protected from gentle tilt of the spine. The back opening edges are a little thickened in places seen viewed end-on, both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. This fact reiterated by the quite wide end panel laminate lines on the front and back.

Spine and Text: Can a cover spine ever be famous? Well if so, this is one of them. First issue covers included a massively wide spine, soon to be dropped for a more standard issue type. These are very rarely seen without be crushed or badly compressed (or even damaged, split or torn). Apart from a little gentle tilt to left, this is still quite solid and even erect. It has avoided any crushing, compression or creasing and looks very impressive as seen. A little fine rubbing to the top fold near the bottom is minimal compared to some I have seen, it even retains full laminate cover with all text perfect, also very well centred. Some tilt is almost impossible to avoid, but I consider this spine almost exceptional with far more positives than any minor negatives. Look and judge for yourself.

Corners: Again, these have all fared well with minimal hint of wear and retaining very fine and mostly excellent shape. The spine pair especially are superb, the lack of bashes or dinks to these areas for a 1968 cover is a major plus.

Cover Summary: An impressive example of this famous old cover, not quite as old as the band look on the front but this is now around 48-years-old old, but gives few clues to the fact. This should please many collectors and will prove difficult to find a great deal better. There is no faking a first issue ‘This Was’ sleeve, it’s format was a one-off and unique. The earliest examples were also uncredited. The front graphic, one of rock’s true classics, this prime example could even prove a significant upgrade for many.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a heavy-duty polylined white inner typically used for Pye pressings at this time. Both window circles crisp and the lining very clear and still fresh. Some creasing to one corner as seen, all edges unsplit with no repairs. This is UK patented and has ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean with fine shine and heavily pressed as these early Pye contract albums were. Under light, some quite gentle surface marks and fine hairlines are seen, but no penetrating stylus scratches. Less evidence in average room light, but I critically grade under a bright lamp that reveals all visual blemishes and issues. Deep wide grooves and very robust, I am actually pretty sure this record has not been played many times and offers mostly very clean and impressive sound. Finding the genuine first issues without a few minor surface marks or visual blemishes will prove beyond difficult, this is a very nice record, and should please many collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic debut album plays even above it’s visual grading with little to fault. Pye pressings at their best are fantastic, but they could prove variable and nothing can ever be taken for granted. This offers very powerful and dynamic sound with ultimate detail and presentation of the impressive music. Check out that incredible short drum solo on ‘Dharma For One’. A copy with no dreaded pressing noises, distortion or tracking issues*. The innermost songs with that delicate, difficult flute sections always are a concern for any copy played too many times on heavy-tracking equipment – no worries here, the sound is sharp and focused. Any surface sound minimal, traces here-and-there realistically will seldom be avoided totally. The final short song, ‘Round’ is always a challenge and delicate, but generally plays well. I have heard this song sound horrible on some copies with major pressing noise and distortion, which have been avoided on this copy. The production and mixing of this album is fantastic, and even today its full-on sound still thrills. This merits strong recommendation for those wanting to experience a 1968 copy that most consider offers the very best audio detail. Few copies will play ‘silent’, so the odd gentle tick or polite reminder of what is being played is almost to be expected, especially if played on more sensitive equipment. With that in mind, this gave a lovely performance and it’s one I can highly recommend.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programs. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.